Shanghai, China – BLOOM FRESH™ International Limited (BLOOM FRESH™), the world’s largest premium fruit-breeding company specializing in table grapes, cherries, and raisins, is responsible for renowned table grape varieties such as COTTON CANDY®, SWEET SAPPHIRE® and SWEET GLOBE®. BLOOM FRESH™ will license its protected plant varieties to Chinese growers, providing ongoing support for their success. However, to protect its intellectual property, BLOOM FRESH™ is taking legal action against nurseries and growers who illegitimately use its proprietary varieties and trademarks.
Having successfully resolved enforcement cases in Yunnan, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, and Guangdong, BLOOM FRESH™ emphasizes the impact on both its rights and those of its Chinese licensees and consumers. Infringers create unfair competition for BLOOM FRESH™’s licensees, who pay for rights, while infringers illicitly gain advantages through stolen intellectual property.
Poor-quality infringing fruit negatively affects the market for high-quality, licensed fruit, as infringers do not receive authorized plant material or the benefit of BLOOM FRESH™’s technical support and quality assurance systems. Infringing fruit also deceives consumers, as the quality does not align with BLOOM FRESH™’s specifications for licensed fruit.
In China, BLOOM FRESH™ has secured plant variety rights for 16 table grape varietals and registered trademarks for best-sellers like COTTON CANDY®, SWEET SAPPHIRE®, and SWEET GLOBE®. Chinese Authorities, including the Local Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau and Administration for Market Regulation, support BLOOM FRESH™’s efforts in enforcing its intellectual property rights. BLOOM FRESH™ anticipates further cooperation with local authorities, communities, and licensees to protect its intellectual property.
“BLOOM FRESH™ aims to establish a win-win-win environment for itself, its licensees, and local communities. Creating such an environment relies on a healthy market that protects plant breeder rights and encourages the development of robust new varieties,” said BLOOM FRESH™ CEO Kenneth Avery. “Despite being a long and challenging process, BLOOM FRESH™ is committed to supporting the industry in fostering a positive and healthy intellectual property environment.”
